Ventilating means for foot coverings



June 9, 1931. v I o. P. WILLIAMSLSR VENTILATING MEANS FOR FOOT COVERINGS Filed July 15, 1929 a I 15 ,lxuuun ML ZEQIIIIIIII EQ IIIIIIRQ? Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES onusmr r. wmmgms, SR., or sou'rnearn, cnmonm VENTILATING MEANS FOR FOOT COVERINGS Application filed July 15, 1929. Serial No. 878,437.

My invention relates to ventilating means for foot coverings of the general character embodied in my U. S. PatentNo. 1,660,698, issued February 28, 1928, and by which a cir culation of air into and out of the foot covering is effected to ensure an adequate ventilation of the foot.

It is a purpose of my present invention to provide anextremely simple and eflicient means which is operable automatically by the foot in the act of walking to induce a circulation of fresh air in the foot covering around the foot by removing stale air from the foot covering, so as to insure a constant supply of fresh air to thefoot.

I will describe only one form of ventilat-' ing means for foot coverings embodying my invention and will then pointout the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanyin drawings,

Figure 1 is a view s owingin vertical longitudinal section one form of ventilating means for foot coverings in its association m with a shoe, and illustrating one position of the ventilating means occuring in the act of walking. 1

Figure 2 is a fragmentary 'view similar to Figure 1 and illustrating the other position of the ventilating means occuring during the v act of walking.

Fi re 3 1s a horizontalsectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectlonal view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate similar parts in each of the several views, I have illustrateda foot covering in the form of a .shoe having its'heel 10 provided with a cylindrical cav ty 11 opening upwardly and spanned by the inner Solo 12 of .thecshoe. Within the cavity 11 is a pumping element, in the present instance in t e form of a bod 13 of rubber or other resilient material whic loosely fits the cavity. The body is cup sha ed to provide a top wall 14. normally slightly domed and confronting the inner sole 12, and a-vertically disposed side wall 15 which rests upon the bottom of the cavity 11.

The body .13- co-operates with the cavity 11 to form an air chamber 16 in the body into which air is adapted to be drawn from the interior of the'shoe through a normally open inlet port 17 formed in the side wall 15 and terminating in a nip le 18 projecting from the side wall into a duct 19 extending forwardly through the outer sole 20 of the shoe and communicating with the interior of the shoe at a point preferably beneath the toes of the foot, by means of an opening 21 in the inner sole 12. The inlet port 17 is in the form of a relatively narrow slot horizontally" disposed so as to extend circumferentially of the side wall 15 and-thus be caused to 5' close when the side wall is deformed as a result of the weight of the foot imposed on the body during the act of walking.

'The side wall 15 is also provided with an outlet port 22 registering with an outlet'duct 23 in the heel andthrough which air withdrawn from the interior of the shoe into the chamber 16 is adapted to be forced from the chamber to atmosphere. The port 22 is in the form of a slit, closed when the weight of the foot 'is relieved from the body 13, and substantially vertically disposed so as to open when the sidewall 15 is deformed as a result of the weight of the foot being imposed on the body 13 inthe act of walking. The top wall 14 of the body is provided with a slight protuberance 24 (Figure 4) in alinement with the slit forming the port 22, so as to intensify or concentrate the weight of the foot upon that portion of the body in proximity to the port and thus facilitate opening ofthe latter.

The operation of the ventilating device is as follows:

In the act of walking, the weight of the footis alternately imposed upon and relieved from the body 13 resulting in alternately creating positive and negative air pressures in the chamber 16. A pumping action is thus effected in the chamber as when the weight of 95 the heel is imposed on the body 13, the top wall of the latter is depressed to the position shown in Figure 2 to reduce the capacity of I the chamber, whereas when the weight is relieved, the top wall returnsto its normal po- 10" sition shown in Figure 1, thus increasing the capacity of the chamber.

As the weight of the foot is im osed on the l body 13 and the top wall 14 is epressed to create a positive air pressure in the chamber 16, the side wall 15 of the body will be compressed to cause the normally open inlet port 17 to close and the normally closed slit forming the outlet port 22 to open, as shown in Figure 2, thus forcing air from the chamber through the latter port and outlet duct 23 ex teriorly of the shoe to atmosphere. As the weight of the foot is relieved from the body 13, the top wall 14 returns to its normal elevated position and thus increases the capacity of the chamber 16, causing a negative pressure to be created therein. The inlet port 17 and the outlet port 22 respectively open and close concurrently with the return of the top wall 14 to its normal elevated position, thereby permitting the negative air pressure created in the chamber 16 to withdraw air from the interior of the shoe around the foot, through the o ening 21, duct 19 and port 17 into the cham er.

It will thus be clear that in the act of walking, positive and negative air pressures will be alternately created in the chambers 16, and

that through the co-action of the ports 17 and 22 which broadly function automatically as valves, a constant forced circulation of air will be efifected from-the interior of the shoe to atmosphere, thus removing all stagnant air from the shoe and insuring a constant supply of fresh air to the foot.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of ventilating means for foot coverings embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein with out departing from the spirit of the invention 'and the spirit and scope of the appended response to deforming of the wall under theweight of the foot imposed on the body, the

wall of the body having a slit communicating v with atmosphere exteriorly of the shoe and positioned to be opened in response to deforming of the wall under the weight of the foot imposed on the body, whereby as the weight of the foot is alternately imposed on and relieved from the body. air will be withdrawn from the interior of the shoe through said slot into the body and will be ejected from the body to atmosphere through said slit.

2. Ventilating means for foot coverings comprising a hollow resilient body adapted to be received in a heel cavity of the foot covering and to be deformed under the weight of the foot imposed on the body, in the act of walking, to alternately create positive and,

negative air pressures in the body, the body having a normally open slot positioned to be closed in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the body, and a normally closed slit positioned to be opened inresponse to the weight of the foot imposed on the body.

3. Ventilating means for foot coverings comprising a hollow resilient body adapted to be received in a heel cavity of the foot covering and to be formed under the weight of the foot imposed on the body, in the act of Walking, to alternately create positive and negative air pressures in the body, the body having a normally open slot positioned to be closed in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the body, and a normally closed slit positioned to be opened in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the body, and aproturberance of the body so positioned with respect to said slit as to concentrate the weight of the foot on the body in proximity to the slit and thereby facilitate opening of the latter.

4. Ventilating means for foot coverings comprising a cup shaped resilient body adapted to be received in a heel cavity of the foot covering to cooperate with the cavity in forming a chamber and to be deformed under the weight of the foot imposed on the body in the act of walking, to alternately create positive and negative air pressures in the chamber, the body having a normally open slot positioned to be closed in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the body, and a normally closed slit positioned to be opened in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the body.

5. Ventilating means for foot coverings comprising a cup shaped resilient body adapted to be received in a heel cavity of the foot covering to co-operate with the cavity in forming a chamber and to be deformed under the weight of the foot imposed on the body in the act of walking, to alternately create positive and ne ative air pressures ii. the chamber, the body having a normally open slot positioned to be closed in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the body, and

a normally closed slit positioned to be opened in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the body, and a protuberance on the body so positioned with respect to said slit as to concentrate the weight of the foot on the body in proximity to the slit and thereby facilitate opening of the latter.

6. Ventilating means for foot coverings comprising a resilient'body having a vertical side wall and adapted to be received in a heel cavity of the foot covering and to be deformed under the weight of the foot imposed on the body in the act of walking, to alternately "create positive and negative air pressures in the body, said side wall having a normally open slot extending substantially horizontal 1y so as to be closed in response to theweight of the foot imposed on the body, and a sub-t stantially vertical slit normally closed and opening in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the body.

7 Ventilating means for foot wear comprising a cup shaped resilient body, the side wall of, which is provided with a substantially circumferentially extending slot and a substantially transversely extending" slit at spaced points.

8. Ventilating means for foot wear comprising a cup shaped resilient body, the side wall of which is provided with a substantially circumferel'itially extending slot and a substantially transversely extending slit at spaced points, the top wallof the body having a protuberance in alinement with the slit.

9. Ventilating means for foot wear com-- prising a hollow body adapted to be disposed in a heel of the foot wear andh'aving a resilient wall deformable under the weight of the foot imposed thereon, said wall having a slot positioned to be closed in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the wall, and a slit positioned to be opened in response to the weight of the foot imposed on the wall.

10. A foot covering having a heel provided with pumping means including a resilient walled chamber, the wall of the chamber having a slot and a slit, one of which communicates with the interior of the foot covering and the other with atmosphere exteriorly of the foot covering, the slot and'slit being positioned to respectively close and open in response to the weight of a person imposed on the heel, and

for the purpose descnbed.

RMSBY P. WILLIAMS, SR.

to respectively open and close when the weight is relieved from the heel, v 

